Process of and apparatus for making tufted upholstery



(No Model.)

' J. P. ORR. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING TUFTED UPHOLSTERY.

No. 543,218. Patented July 23, 1895.

fizyenfar UNITED STATE PATENT Orrrcn.

JOHN FRA-NKLIN ORR, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

PROCESd OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING TUFIED UPHOLSTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming'part of Letters Patent No. 543,218, dated July 23, 1895.

Application filed January 19, 1895. Serial No. 535,440. (No model.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J onn FRANKLIN ORR, a: citizen of the United States, residing at Oincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Process of and Apparatus for Making Tufted Upholstery, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new'method of and apparatus for making the rows of tufts or pads in upholstery, the novel features of which are fully hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a perforated board or work-- table on which the plaited facing, tufting, or stuffing and afew of my tufting devices comprising my. invention are shown, the said facing being broken olf to show said tufting or filling, the buckram backing, (also broken spacing-uprights, showing the tufting-standard in the act of drawing or carrying down the fabric-facing in myprocess (a releasingtool with the handle broken off being shown in this view to indicate how the spring-latch device is thrown back to disconnect the hookjaws from the tufting-standard after the tufting operation has been fully accomplished. The releasing device should not be in active operation at this step in the tnfting operation, but it is so shown in this large view for com venience and lucidness); and Fig. 4, an elevation of one of the double-hook eyes or loops used in the tufting operation and to co-operate with the bottom wires in binding the up holstery to the buckram backing.

A represents the work board or table on which the tufting operation is preferably performed. This board is made with holes or perforations a, atthe desiredintervals and positions apart, to suit the design to appear between the various draw pits or points of binding the facing to the bottom or backing forproducing the several tufts or pads.

B represents the usual outer cover or facing,- composed of satin or any other suitable fabric; C, the usual cotton-batting or other similar padding placed directly under the fabric facing 13; D, the usual curled hair, moss,0r other similar loose stuffing under the upper padding C, and E the bottom buckram or burlap backing.

The buckra-m backing is constructed with holes or perforations 1), corresponding in size to and registering with the said holes a in the work-board A.

F represents a hollow standard or upright spacing-spindle having preferably a vertical series of circumferential shoulders f facing.

upwardly, constructed thereon, the intervals between said shoulders being graduated those'between the several shoulders for about half the length upward being quite wide, for quick work at the outset when the filling is very loose, and which then enables the ready tucking or plaiting P of'the fabric-facing, as seen in Fig. 1; and the intervals between the several shoulders for the greater part of the remainder of the length upward being narrow and adapted to slower work in properly shaping and setting the tufts in the completing operation. rigidly fit a fillingor plug 0, centrally perforated or bored, and along one side of said plug and lying within the standard I pass downwardly and attach a pendent bow-spring d, which has an inwardly disposed lateral projection or pin 01', as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3.

In the bore of plug 0 I loosely mount a split bar, forming a pair of jaws 0', opening upwardly with their month just slightly above the top of said standard, the said mouth having a hole or enlargement c therein (seeFig. 3) for engagement over the pendent eye or loop portion e of a pair of hooks e e, the latter being set in small punctures made in the fabric-facing B and anchoring therein wherever the tufting draw-pits are to be made. At the lower end of jaw-bar c, I construct a circularly-grooved head 0 which is engaged In the top of each standard I by the aforesaid projection d to form a look ing connection when the eye 6 is engaged or caught in the jaws above.

While the jaw-bar c is within the plug 0 the jaws are kept positively and firmly closed over the loop or eye e, and in order to release them from the eye a conical or taperheaded tool I is inserted in the standard from the bottom, (see Fig. 3,) which depresses spring (1 and thereby retreats the projection 61 from the grooved head o at which moment the. said jaws may be removed from the standard-plug, and, being of spring metal with a tendency toward each other, they retain the eye orloop therein until the bindingwire is inserted therethrough, when they can be readily pulled off said loop.

G represents a sleeve or hollow cylinder having a supporting-collar G thereon and freely fitting each of the holes a in the workboard, said collar resting on the board around the upper periphery of said hole and said sleeve having a pendent spring tongue or pawl g constructed therein, which engages the respective shoulders in their turn on said standard F, the latter passing downward through said sleeve G (see Fig. 2) and supported by said pawl g and also prevented from upward movement thereby in the tufting operation.

9' represents an upright arm on the bearing-sleeve G, having a lateral projection g atits upper end, upon which the buckram bottom or backing of the upholstery rests, and especially for the final cross-wiring or binding operation, thus leaving a suitable space between said bottom and the work-board, in which the passing of the binding-wires it through the pendent eyes or loops 6 in the fabric-facing can be readily effected. (Best seen in Fig. 2.)

It will be seen in Fig. 1 that the outer rows of standard-sleeves have several upright arms 9' constructed thereon for the proper support of the upholstery along its borders, and said arms on all the sleeves are mounted a little to one side the axial center, so that they shall not obstruct the insertion of the binding-wires through the eyes or loops 6 when at times parallel thereto.

In the operation of my process and device the standards or uprights are first inserted in their respective holes in the work-board, with their pawls g in engagement with the lowermost notches or shoulders of said standards. Then the perforated buckram backing is laid on the standard-arms g, with said standards passed upward through its holes. Then curled hair, moss, loose cotton, or other similar elastic stuffing is loosely but sufficiently laid or bunched in the spaces around said standards. Then the cotton-batting or other similar padding is laid over said curled hair, the operator easily making openings or parting said cotton-batting for the upward extension or presence of the standards. Then the fab ric facing or cover, previously prepared or provided with its draw eyes or loops and properly engaged by the jaws-c, is laid over the cotton padding, the said jaw-bars being first inserted in the upper ends of the standards and automatically caught by the spring-latch-devices therein. The facing is brought well down close to the flat tops of the standards, and then the standards are depressed or lowered in their automatic catch sleeve bearings to about mid-length thereof, when the plaits or tucks are most readily made in said facing. Then the standards are still farther depressed until they approach a level slightly below the tops of upright arms g, as best seen in Fig. 2, when the cross or binding Wires are readily inserted through the eyes or loops 6, which have been brought down below the bottom of the buckram backing. Then the releasing-tool is inserted in the standards, around which are the finished tufts, and the said jaws disengaged from the standards, the latter being removed downwardly from the work-board and the same operation repeated till all the tufts are made.

It is obvious that the upright arms are not essential in the operation of finally binding the upholstery, as the buckram could rest directly on the board, and when the releasingtool disconnects the jaws from the standards the elasticity of the tufts is not so great as to draw said jaws and the hook, eyes, or loops back to the original position above the padding. Said jaw-bars can be caught in the hand and then the wire-binding readily accomplished by raising the upholstery from the board.

It will be readily seen that the spaces occu' pied by said standards are sufficient for the respective hooked portions of the facing to be easily drawn or pressed down through the cotton-batting and curled-hair stuffing without pressing on any of said filling or having any noticeable or material quantity of such filling between said hooked portions of the facing and the buckram backing when the yielding standard is brought down to position for the proper passing of the bindingwires through the draw-eyes e, and thus no stiff or hard packing or massing of the stuffing can intervene between the facing and the backing in the draft or fastening-pits I-l, nor will the surrounding filling or padding forming the several tufts become packed or hard; but they will be free, soft, and pliable and have all the desired elasticity, and also said facing may be readily plaited or tucked around said pits, as hereinbefore mentioned.

The work resultant from the use of my standards and process will be uniform throughout and the pits clean and decided in appearance, which are all most desirable features, and said standards may be very read ily set in or removedfrom place in the holes of the board A for the proper progress of the operation.

ICC

It will be seen that my process and appadrawing the tuft-pits, as my prime object and most essential feature herein is to have the use of the spaces occupied by the said standards for the free downward draft or-movement of said facing to the backing without the stuffing intervening between them at the points of'draft and binding. This smoothfaced tool is used principally in quick work, where no plaiting need be made, the latter requiring slower depression of said standards and the detention thereof while the folds are being laid in the facing.

I claim l. As an improvement in the art of making tufted-upholstery, the herein-described method of making and securing the several draft or tuft pits and preventing the matting of the stuffing or fillingbetween said tuft-pits and the backing, which consists in first providin g vertical draft holes or spacing-Wells in the said stuffing or filling directly beneath the several draft-points in the facing or cover,

I for the respective tuft-pits; then depressing or drawing the said draft-points in'the facing downward through the said spacing-wells in the filling till they reach the bottom-burlaps or backing, without any of the material comprising said filling intervening between the facing and backing in the draft-wells; and

then suitably wiring or anchoring the facing at the bottom of said pits to the backing, substantially as herein set forth.

2. A tufting-apparatus for use in making, upholstery, the same comprising an upright draft-standard; a collar having one or more spring-pawls and adapted to receive and yieldingly hold said standard in the upholsteryfilling with its upper end in engagement with the under-side of the facing or cover at the point where the draft-pit is to be; a suitable support for said collar, beneath the upholstory-backing; and a suitable catch or hook device, mounted at the said upper end of the standard and adapted to be attached to the under-side of the facing; the whole being constructed, arranged, and adapted to be operated, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a tufting-apparatus for use in making upholstery, the combination of an upright, hollow spindle or standard having a jaw or hook at its upper end engaging a draft and binding 1oop-hook in the cover or facing; a shouldered or collared bearing-sleeve having one or more spring-pawls thereonjsuccessivel y engaging shoulders on the face of said standard; and a work board or table having perforations or holes made at intervals therein to suit the desired design of tufts or pads between draw-pits, and to receive a series of said standards,substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth. In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand. I

' JOHN FRANKLIN ORR.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. J ONES, L. M. J ONES. 

